And yet, despite that, I couldn't quite stop myself from running my eyes over her each time she came into my office. There was no denying just how attractive Jade was. It was obvious she put care and thought into the way she dressed, her clothes, make-up, and hair were perfect, even though she was constantly running from office to office for me, slowly helping me work my way through the massive stack of paperwork.
It was actually kind of impressive, watching her move so quickly and gracefully in heels. No doubt I'd have broken my neck in shoes like that, but Jade wore them like she was born to them. The slacks she wore molded nicely against her body, hinting at a gorgeous ass and legs hidden beneath them.
As Jade left for the day, I let out a sigh and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes. It was a damn good thing Jade didn't dress like some of the women did. If she'd walked in wearing a short skirt and a low-cut top, there was no way I'd have gotten anything done. Hell, without keeping me on task today, I wouldn't have gotten anything done either.
I made a note to give Jade a nice Christmas bonus this year for her help. Then, I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. I needed to get my act together. That woman had been gorgeous, and our brief encounter had been quite enjoyable, but that didn't excuse anything. It was done and over with. I'd probably never see that woman again, and I needed to damn well act like it.
This company wasn't going to run itself. I'd have seriously considered firing one of my employees if they'd spent the last week at work as spaced out as I did without a damn good reason. A sexy woman was not a good reason. I was a grown-ass man, damn it, not some schoolboy with a crush.
One way or another, I needed to get my head out of my ass and move on with my life.
I just had no idea how I was supposed to manage that when every time I closed my eyes all I could see were those slender legs.
3
Jade
I stared into the mirror, fighting back the urge to flinch at the face reflected back at me. I looked like shit. Which made sense since I felt like shit. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been this worn down. At first, I'd thought it was just all the stress from work. Mr. Frost was working me hard lately as the company prepared for their big unveil in a couple of months.
So, I'd taken a few days off. I'd lounged around the apartment for two days, reading a couple of the paperbacks that had been stacking up on my nightstand and going through an entire bottle of bubble bath. But none of that seemed to have made any difference. I still felt like garbage, more than once having to empty my stomach into the toilet for what seemed like no reason.
When it went on for over a week, I finally broke down and went to see a doctor. Frost Industries had a good health insurance plan, but that didn't stop me from absolutely hating trips to the doctor. It was a fear I'd had ever since I was a little kid. Even a routine check-up used to send me hiding, always afraid I was going to have to get a shot. And on the times I actually did need a shot...
Any time it was my father who was taking me to the doctor, I knew a shot was inevitable. He'd hold me still in his iron grip so the doctor could get it over with. And even though I knew I could never overpower him, knew that it was better to just get it over with, I'd never been able to stop myself from fighting it. Sadly, that phobia of needles hadn't gone away with age, though at least I didn't throw tantrums over them anymore.
I just avoided going to the doctor as much as I possibly could.
The doctor had examined me and said I appeared to be in good health. Just like I assumed, he told me it was probably just stress, but he took a blood sample just in case. With strict orders to relax as much as possible, he'd sent me on my way, promising he'd call me if the blood results showed anything.
A week later and I still hadn't heard back, nor did I really feel much better. Part of me wanted to take a couple more days off, but I'd so far stopped myself. I didn't want to leave Mr. Frost without me for too long. Sure, he was probably capable of doing everything without me, but I knew he wouldn't appreciate it with us this close to the launch. It would just make his job even more stressful.
Plus, the holidays were coming up soon, which meant Christmas bonuses. Even though I wasn't exactly hurting for cash, I was still hopeful for a decent bonus this year. My little Toyota was finally on its last legs, and I wanted to use the bonus to put a down payment on a new, more reliable car for myself. Which meant, even though I felt like shit, I'd gotten up when my alarm, and now it was time to get ready for work.
By the time I finished my hair and makeup, I actually looked human again, rather than a cave troll seeing sunlight for the first time in months. It was unfortunate I still felt like a cave troll. I just hoped that once the launch was done and
